Strengths and weaknesses of the vascular apathy hypothesis: a narrative review

As a clinical syndrome, apathy is characterized by diminished motivation, leading to a reduction in emotions, thoughts and initiative to perform activities 1 . Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), an atherosclerotic disease of the brain causing ischemic changes in the surrounding brain tissue, is suspected to be a cause of this frequent and disabling syndrome 2 3. Neuroimaging markers of CSVD include white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebral microbleeds, lacunar infarcts and visible perivascular spaces.
Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Clinical Review Article Source Type: research